3 new models among 17 homes on Spring Fling tour at Alden Place

The upcoming Spring Fling at Alden Place will be an opportunity to explore this 55-plus community tucked in the woods of Cornwall, just north of the Lancaster County border.
Visitors to the Saturday, April 29, event can tour 17 homes from 2 to 5 p.m. and end their day with a catered dinner and entertainment by the Flamin’ Caucasians.
If that isn’t enough incentive to visit, here’s one more:
“If you don’t want to come for any other reason, come to see the toilets,” says Bill Martin, architectural designer and new homes consultant for Alden Homes.
Martin and Liz Borg, interior designer and director of sales, are passionate about small design details that exude form and function. In this case, Martin is referring to the upgraded toilets in The Elizabeth, one of three new model homes that will be opened for the first time at this year’s Spring Fling.
The Elizabeth floor plan, designed with a mid-century modern, industrial feel, made its debut in Alden Place last fall and has been in demand ever since.
Inspired by the modern-cottage style homes in Alden’s Mount Joy community, The Gables at Elm Tree, The Elizabeth embodies what Martin and Borg refer to as smart design.
That not only means smart technology, like automated blinds, but also a smart use of space that allows less square footage to live much larger.
Alden’s latest incarnation of The Elizabeth has many eye-catching elements, including a glass-walled office/flex room with dual sliding barn doors that meet at a 90-degree angle, a DuraCeramic wood-grain fireplace wall, and an open-tread staircase with cable-and-metal railing.
“We took it another step modern,” Martin says. “It’s a little more in your face.”
More subtle but no less important are those smaller details of form and functionality — the chef’s sink with built-in cutting board and colander, the floating desk under the stairs, and the Dutch door that features a built-in dog crate on the bottom and a closet on top.
And the toilets.
“They’re a necessary evil,” Martin notes. “Toilets are the next big thing (in home design). Everything else has style points. Why can’t toilets have style points?”
So in The Elizabeth you won’t find standard-issue toilets with visible bolts and hard-to-clean indentations in the base. Rather, you’ll discover a more sleek, modern-looking square design.
It’s the kind of feature you don’t realize you want until you see it, Martin says.
Other features in the new Elizabeth include a second floor with loft area, bedroom and full bath.
The other new models on the tour are The Stanford and The Gretna — existing floor plans in Alden Place that have been revamped to incorporate the smart design concepts.
The new three-bedroom Stanford includes an extra-long, cantilevered island in the galley kitchen and a full finished basement featuring a wet bar with uniquely shaped custom top.
“The wet bar in the basement and the island are off the charts,” Borg says.
The home also includes a large patio off the walkout basement.
For those who shy away from the modern look, The Gretna model offers a softer color palette and more traditional architectural and design elements.
You won’t find The Elizabeth’s industrial-chic staircase in The Gretna. However, you will find similar smart design features: a walk-under staircase with built-in desk and cubbies, built-in corner shelves, and a loft area with sliding barn doors that can be closed for privacy.
All three new model homes feature Lutron automated blinds and an Adorne under-the-cabinet kitchen lighting system that eliminates receptacles in the backsplash.
One thing you won’t find are long hallways that simply eat up useful square footage.
It’s proof, Martin and Borg say, that smart design comes in all shapes and styles.
“It all starts with the design and flow of the house,” Martin says.
Anyone’s personal style can be incorporated into the design of a home at Alden Place. Of the 17 homes on the tour — including a total of five model homes, nine resident homes and three resale homes — no two are alike.
All homes on the tour will be manned by resident volunteers who will be available to answer questions about the community.
Alden Place is actually two communities — Alden Place at Cornwall and Northgate at Alden Place. Both communities share a host of amenities, including a 17,000-square-foot clubhouse and a fully stocked lake.
Alden Place backs up to the 14.5-mile Lebanon Valley Rail-Trail, perfect for walking or biking through woodlands and pastoral countryside. And golfers will find several courses nearby.
With its close proximity to routes 72 and 322, Alden Place is an easy drive to nearby Mount Gretna, as well as Hershey and Lancaster.
Visitors to the Spring Fling will receive a gift bag, a map of the tour homes and a card to be stamped at each stop. They can visit as many homes as they like at their own pace.
Spring Fling is a no-pressure event. However, salespeople will be stationed at an information tent for those who want to learn more or inquire about buyer incentives available through the end of May.
All ages are welcome on the home tour, but evening activities are limited to those 21 and older who visit at least 10 homes during the tour.
The event will include a basket raffle and 50-50 ticket sale, proceeds of which will go to Lebanon County Christian Ministries.
Advance registration is requested for those who plan to attend the dinner.
For more information or to make reservations, call 717-376-1199 or visit www.aldenplaceevents.com.Directions from Lancaster: Follow Route 72 North toward Lebanon. In Quentin, turn right at Route 419 and follow for a half mile. Community is on right.